LifeStation’s Sidekick ($37.95 per month) is a mobile medical alert system that goes where you do and will connect you to a live emergency response agent with the touch of a button. It uses GPS and Wi-Fi to give emergency responders your exact location in the event that you can’t, and it offers a relatively long five-day battery life between charges. The Sidekick delivered fast response times in testing with clean two-way audio, though it isn’t quite as fast as our Editors’ Choice winner for mobile medical alert systems, the GreatCall Lively Mobile Plus, which also offers more urgent care add-on services and is less expensive.
A Better-Looking Medical Alert Wearable
With a shape similar to a teardrop, the Sidekick doesn’t look like most mobile medical alert devices, which are typically rectangular. It measures 2.5 by 1.6 by 0.6 inches (HWD), weighs 1.6 ounces, and has a black rubberized finish that’s soft to the touch. There’s a silver SOS button in the center that’s used to initiate a call to the 24/7 emergency response center, where you’ll be connected to a live agent, and there’s a Test button and a Mute button on the left side of the device. Also on the left side are three tiny LEDs: The Status LED blinks green when the Sidekick is powered up and operating properly, the location LED blinks blue when location services (GPS, Wi-Fi) are working, and the Power LED blinks red when the Sidekick requires charging. A lanyard clip is located on the top of the device.
Included in the box are a charging cradle, a USB charging cable and AC adapter, a lanyard cord, and a user guide. The Sidekick’s built-in lithium-ion battery is rated to last up to five days between charges, which is a good deal longer than what you get with the ADT On-The-Go device (36 hours), and on par with the Medical Guardian Mini Guardian (five days), but not in the same league as the LifeFone At-Home and On-the-Go GPS Voice-in-Necklace, which is rated to last up to 30 days between charges.
The Sidekick is equipped with GPS and Wi-Fi radios for tracking your location, and has a cellular radio that uses AT&T’s LTE mobile network to connect you to an emergency response center. The device has an IP67 water-resistant rating, which means you can wear it in the shower or out in the rain.
Pricing for the Sidekick starts at $37.95 per month or $42.95 per month if you want a protection plan that covers the device in case of failure. In comparison, the Great Call Lively Mobile Plus has a $24.99 per month fee and requires a one-time fee of $49.99, Connect America charges a $39.95 monthly fee for its Medical Alert LTE device, and you’ll pay $37.95 per month for the Mobile Help Solo system.
Other than a $9.95 per month fee for optional fall detection and a $2.95 per month fee for an optional lockbox, you don’t get any add-on options such as a mobile app, medicine reminders, access to medical advice, and caregiver services like you do with the Great Call Lively Mobile Plus and MobileHelp Solo systems. However, there is a free feature called Find My Loved One that allows people on your emergency contact list to send a text message to a number (given to you at the time of purchase), which is answered with a link to a map of your exact real-time location.
Using the LifeStation Sidekick
Preparing the Sidekick for first use is easy. Simply plug in the charger and power up the device for several hours until the red charger LED goes dark; just make sure that the Sidekick is firmly snapped into the charging cradle and you hear a chime and voice prompt informing you that the unit is indeed charging. Once fully charged, test the device by pressing the Test button on the side to be connected to an automated test center. You’ll be asked to state your name, and the device will play a recording of your voice back to verify clear audio communication. You can also press the SOS button to be connected to a live agent, but make sure that you tell the agent that you’re just conducting a test to avoid an emergency dispatch situation.
The Sidekick turned in speedy response times in testing, in which we time how long it takes for a live agent to come on once the SOS button is pressed. Its average response time of 35 seconds is in line with the ADT On-The-Go system (also 35 seconds), and a bit faster than the Bay Alarm 4G LTE GPS Help Button (48 seconds), but not as fast as the GreatCall Lively Mobile Plus (15 seconds). Tow-way audio was clean and adequately loud, and as is the case with every medical alert system we’ve tested, live emergency agents were always courteous and professional.
The Find My Loved One text feature worked as intended. A return text with a link to a Google Map was typically received within a minute after sending the text, and the location was always accurate.
A Fast and Attractive Mobile Medical Alert Device
With the LifeStation Sidekick, you can get emergency help no matter where you are with the touch of a button. It delivered speedy response times in testing and uses GPS and Wi-Fi to track your location, and it can last five days between charges. Although it offers a Find My Loved One feature that lets friends and family locate you simply by sending a text message, the Sidekick lacks the urgent care add-on services that you get with the GreatCall Lively Mobile Plus, which also happens to be less expensive and offers faster response times. As such, the Mobile Plus remains our Editors’ Choice winner for mobile medical alerts systems.
